The time has come for you to start ramping up your food storage and building out your year’s supply.
Fantastic! Building up a well-fortified pantry is an important undertaking.
Stocking up on emergency food supplies is a two-pronged strategy:
- Stocking up on food that you will eat, and
- Learn how to cook and eat the food you stockpile.
In other words, don’t just stock up on 100 pounds of rice or dry beans if you don’t really know how to cook rice or beans. And at the same, you should learn how to actually cook and prepare rice and beans in some tasty ways that you like.
For many of us, #2 is probably a harder task. Compared to generations gone before, most of us are really far removed from cooking, especially cooking with the kind of raw, bulk ingredients that typically store really well. For that reason, I recommend collecting a handful of easy to prepare survival recipes, so that a “bucket o’ beans” isn’t just some weird thing in the pantry that we’ll figure out when we absolutely have to (bad idea).
The following is a complete list of survival foods for a whole year
Here you will find our complete survival food list, our recommendations on how to make and preserve your own long-term foods, criteria to consider when building your food storage, and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Here is the complete list of long-term food storage to build a one-year supply:
- Waffle/Pancake Mixes
- Stovetop Meals and Stuffing
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Canned Spaghetti, Ravioli and similar products (think Chef Boyardee)
- Bulk Pastas and Noodles – spaghetti, macaroni, fettuccine, linguini
- Couscous
- Bulk Instant Potatoes
- Cereals: In particular, think about stuff like shredded wheat (some decent nutritional value)
- Oatmeal
- Instant Rice Mixes
- Canned Beans – You can get these much cheaper in dry bulk, but they will require a lengthy cooking process. We recommend having at least a small supply of canned beans that are ready to open and eat right away
- Peanut Butter and Other Nut Butters.
- Almond Butter
- Cashew Butter
- Sunbutter (from sunflower seeds)
- Dehydrated Peanut Butter (even longer shelf life)
- Protein Bars
- Protein Powder and Shake Mixes
- Canned Beef
- Canned Turkey
- Canned Chicken
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Spam
- Vienna Sausages
- Hot Dogs and Cured Sausages
- Dehydrated eggs
- Boxed Tofu
- Canned Soups
- Dried Soup Mixes
- Make your own Rice and Bean Survival Soups (or “Garbage Soup”)
- Ramen Noodles
- Canned Chili
- Stews
- Chowders
- Dried Fruits and Fruit Leathers
- Canned Fruits
- Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
- V8 and similar vegetable juices
- Canned Tomatoes
- Canned Pumpkin
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Corn
- Beets
- Peas
- Asparagus
- Mixed Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Salad Dressings
- BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Relish
- Soy Sauce
- Tabasco
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Lard
- Organic Shortening
- Syrup
- Evaporated Milk or Sweetened Condensed Milk (key difference is that, like the name says, condensed milk is usually sweetened).
- Powdered Milk
- Powdered Whey
- Shelf Stable Butter
- Ghee
- Shelf Stable Cheeses
- Granola Bars
- Popcorn
- Beef Jerky
- Pemmican
- Crackers
- Cookies
- Trail mix
- Hard Cheeses Encased in Wax (can keep up to 25 years!)
- Pickles (if you’re able to find varieties in a can, less potential for glass breaking)
- Hard Candy
- Nuts: because of the amount of fat in nuts, they are not shelf stable for extremely long periods of time
- Chocolate or Chocolate Chips – If you have the other bases covered, stash away a little something to help the morale (usually only last about a year).
- Salsa
- Sports Drinks and Powdered Drink Mixes
- Coffee
- Teas
- Hot Chocolate
- Ovaltine
- Dry Beans
- Hard Grains – These grains have a hard protective shell, enabling them to be stored upwards of 25 years.
- Soft Grains – Like the name would suggest, these grains have a softer shell, and if stored properly, can have a shelf life of 8 years or more.
- Legumes
- Rice – one important thing to note is that even though brown rice is more nutritious, the shelf last is far less than white, Basmati, or Jasmine rice, making them better for long term storage.
- Freeze dried fruit: Great source of fiber and anti-oxidants. Pick up the bulk fruit bucket, or choose individual fruits, such as:
- Freeze dried vegetables
- Freeze dried meat
- Flour (preferably Whole Wheat Flour). Storing some actual wheat is also a great idea if you have a grinder (see bulk staples above).
- Cornmeal
- Grits
- Sugar
- Molasses
- Iodized Salt
- Spices and Seasonings
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Leavening – Remember, this is what brings life to all of your dry storage for baking.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Yeast (live culture, difficult to store)
- Bread Mixes
- Coconut Milk or Coconut Milk Powder
- Bullion Cubes
- Vegetable, Beef, or Chicken Stock
- Bread Crumbs
- Cornstarch or Potato Flour – thickening agent, also great for breading fish, vegetables, and other baked and fried items.
- Honey: Local is better if you can find it, but honey makes a great sugar substitute, and has several anti-bacterial and immunity properties.
- Cocoa Powder
Remember that nobody else has a perfect “formula” for YOUR family.
Because so many people get intimidated out of taking any action, we recommend that you do a little of everything. In reality, storing food is less about following some specific recipe, and more about heading in a general direction. And at the end of the day, the goal is to do it in the way that best fits you and your family.
To Your Survival
